Adelaide mum Yovanka Loria is making millions each year on hair extensions

Yovanka Loria has always been ‘obsessed with hair’ and at aged five she proudly declared she would be a stylist.

Little did she know that following that dream would one day make her millions.

The 44-year-old mother-of-two first worked in a salon when she was 12; sweeping the floors and begging for the chance to start cutting customers’ locks.

Now lengthening hair – rather than cutting it – has made her a fortune after she started designing revolutionary extensions which ‘look natural’ without causing damage.

‘I have always loved extensions but most hairdressers and salons just wrote them off because they take too long to apply, can’t be coloured easily and damage the hair,’ she told FEMAIL.

‘Not only that but the quality of the hair in a lot of the extensions was also questionable, making it hard to work with.’

So after having kids and pondering how to make hair extensions better, Yovanka took the plunge into research and development.

Two years later she almost quit – after a global search for the perfect hair supplier and manufacturer delivered less than desirable results.

‘I couldn’t find any in the US, or China and had even sent my brother to the Ukraine,’ she said.

Yovanka developed a new kind of hair extension which doesn’t damage the hair and is of consistent, good quality hair – customer pictured before and after extensions

The busy mum said investing $400,000 into her business was the scariest gamble she has every made – but it was worth it 

‘Then a miracle happened and I was contacted by a supplier, he was so unique, and together we found the hair I needed,’ she said.

She now gets her hair from China, where it is bought from young women for a ‘fair price’ allowing them to live well in their villages and feed their families.

‘I was so naive when I got into this, because the hair is marketed globally as Slavic or Russian but in actual fact most of it comes from India and China.

‘We use hair from younger women because it isn’t as coarse, which makes it blend more naturally,’ she said. 

By 2017 Yovanka was ready to do a ‘soft-launch’ of her brand, simply named Yovanka Loria Extensions.

It was the culmination of a huge risk as she put $400,000 into making her dream work.

‘I have never been more terrified in my life,’ she said.

She admitted her extensions are much more expensive than others on the market and can set customers back between $1000 and $4000 for their desired look. 

‘I was so nervous that people wouldn’t want to pay for them, but my husband told me to back myself.’ 

The extensions are expensive, and can set customers back between $1000 and $4000 – this customer opted for a full head of very long extensions

The extensions also ‘look more natural’ Yovanka says, because they blend in with the hair seamlessly 

The hair is sourced in Chine, Yovanka said, before going to a factory to be processed – she now has an impressive hair library

By 2018 Yovanka had to put on more staff and had a six-month waiting list for new clients.

She also had to employ her husband, Vlad, full time to help with the business admin side of the things – as she worked to get her hair in more than 470 salons across Australia and the US.

‘They use our hair and our methods, it is so empowering to be able to teach other stylists my method and have my hair extensions in so many salons,’ she said.

Despite working with new salons every day Yovanka maintains she is ‘very selective’ and the stylists allowed to use her products are part of an exclusive club.

Yovanka’s husband Vlad gave her the push she needed to pursue the business – and now works in it full time

The salon is located inside the family home – and has become a seven figure business

‘There is a very strict application process, you have to be the right fit and navigate certain selection criteria,’ she said.

Since starting the business Yovanka’s confidence has soared and given her the enthusiasm to overhaul her diet,  shedding 20 kilograms.

Now the self-described workaholic is chipping away at new goals.

‘I am trying to learn to compartmentalise so I can put work aside and spend more time with my kids,’ she said.

Her daughter Teya, 13, has already expressed interest in the family business while David, 11, is just happy she’s happy. 

Yovanka started a second business distributing the hair and teaching other stylists how to put it in after popularity boomed and she found herself with a six month waiting list

Though switching off is still a work in progress for the hair stylist.

‘I can’t help myself, so even though I have changed my schedule to Monday-Friday I will still jump on my computer in the morning when everyone is sleeping.’

Yovanka’s hair extensions can last up to eight weeks before the need to be replaced, and can be reused for 12-18 months if they have been looked after correctly.

‘I have one woman who has been using hers for two years, which is insane but they still look good,’ she said.

Yovanka says she is proud to be able to set a good example for her children – her daughter Teya has already expressed interest in the business

She says it is important to fully dry them after going for a swim or having a shower – and never taking a dip in a chlorinated pool.

Yovanka still works from her home salon, but is halfway through renovating it to allow extra space for clients, an education room and more storage for her impressive hair library.

The successful mum says both businesses, the salon and the hair supply business, are booming – and have crashed into seven figures following an increased demand over Covid.